2025 CRA Board of Directors and Officer Election Results

By Matt Hazenbush, Director of Communications 

The Computing Research Association (CRA) Board of Directors plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the computing research community. Serving on the CRA Board is a prestigious opportunity to lead, guide, and give back to the community, and is also a serious commitment. CRA’s Board is a working board — one that dedicates its time, expertise, and energy to advancing CRA’s mission, driving strategic initiatives, and championing efforts to strengthen the computing research ecosystem.

At this critical moment in CRA’s history, as we navigate a rapidly evolving landscape of technological breakthroughs and shifting federal priorities, the Board’s leadership is more vital than ever. We are appreciative of the dedication and service of these remarkable leaders as they help steer both CRA and the broader computing research community through this period of uncertainty and opportunity.

2025 Board of Directors Election Results 

Against this backdrop, we are grateful for the record-breaking level of engagement demonstrated by our members in the recent Board of Directors election. Voting took place between January 23 and February 14, with primary contacts at CRA’s academic and lab member units eligible to vote in the election — and more votes were received than ever before.

CRA members elected three new individuals to its Board of Directors: Carla Brodley (Northeastern University), Mona Diab (Carnegie Mellon University), and Mark Hill (Formerly Microsoft, and University of Wisconsin-Madison). 

In addition, three current Board Members won reelection: Maria Gini (University of Minnesota), Divesh Srivastava (AT&T), and Ben Zorn (Microsoft Research). 

CRA would like to thank all of the candidates who ran for a seat on the Board of Directors this election cycle. Those named above will serve from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028.

Newly Elected CRA Board Members 

CRA is thrilled to welcome the following three new members to its Board of Directors.

Carla Brodley 

Carla Brodley is the Dean of Inclusive Computing and Founding Executive Director of the Center for Inclusive Computing at Northeastern University. A leading voice in machine learning, CS education, and broadening participation in computing, she has worked extensively to strengthen talent development in the field.

Dr. Brodley is a Fellow of AAAI, ACM, and AAAS, and a recipient of the 2022 ACM Frances E. Allen Award for Outstanding Mentoring. She has held leadership roles on the AAAI Council, the International Machine Learning Society Board, and the NSF CISE Advisory Board. She earned her PhD in computer science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Dr. Brodley has previously served as a CRA Board member, Co-Chair of CRA-WP (formerly CRA-W), and organizer of key leadership and mentoring programs, including co-chair of the inaugural CRA Leadership Academy. Through her service on the Board, she aims to provide a national perspective on challenges in computing education and research, particularly in the context of booming enrollments, faculty retention, and the evolving role of AI in curriculum and research.

Mona Diab 

Mona Diab is a Professor and Director of the Language Technologies Institute in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. A globally recognized leader in natural language processing (NLP), responsible AI, and multilingual computing, she has made significant contributions to computational approaches for code-switching and semantic textual similarity.

Dr. Diab is an ACL Fellow and a recipient of the Arabic Language Technologies King Salman Prize. She was named one of the top 30 AI researchers of Arab descent globally by MIT Tech Review (2022, 2023) and was among 150 AI experts advising the White House on the U.S. National AI Strategy in 2019. She earned her PhD in computational linguistics from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Diab has held leadership positions in academia and industry, including roles with AWS and Meta, and serves on global committees focused on AI ethics and safety. Through her service on the CRA Board, she aims to advance responsible AI education, foster ethical computing practices, and expand access to AI research and resources.

Mark Hill 

Mark Hill is a former Partner Hardware Architect at Microsoft Azure and the Gene M. Amdahl and John P. Morgridge Professor Emeritus of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A leading expert in computer architecture, he has made significant contributions to parallel computing, memory system design, and computer simulation.

Dr. Hill is a Fellow of ACM, IEEE, and AAAS, and a recipient of the 2019 Eckert-Mauchly Award, the highest honor in computer architecture. He also received the ACM SIGARCH Alan Berenbaum Distinguished Service Award and has served in leadership roles across academia and industry. He earned his PhD in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Hill has been deeply engaged with CRA, including serving as Chair of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) and CRA Board member (2018-2020). He also played a role in the formation of CRA-Industry. Through his service on the Board, he seeks to strengthen industry-academia collaborations and advance computing research initiatives.

Reelected CRA Board Members 

CRA is pleased to share news of the reelection of the following three members of the Board of Directors.

Maria Gini 

Maria Gini is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. A Fellow of AAAI, IEEE, and ACM, she has received numerous honors, including the IJCAI Donald E. Walker Distinguished Service Award (2024), the CRA A. Nico Habermann Award (2019), and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring). She earned her PhD in physics from the University of Milan.

Dr. Gini has been deeply involved in CRA for many years. She has served on the CRA-WP Board since 2007, co-managing the DREU program until 2017 and leading the Grad Cohort program since 2018. She was also a member of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) for four years, where she contributed to multiple quadrennial papers, organized panels at the AAAS annual conference, and co-chaired a CCC workshop. Additionally, she has been a co-PI for the NSF CSGrad4US Fellowships since 2021 and continues to serve as a Mentoring Program Associate.

Dr. Gini has served as a CRA Board member since 2022.

Divesh Srivastava

Divesh Srivastava is the Director of Inventive Science at AT&T. A Fellow of ACM and AT&T, Dr. Srivastava has received numerous honors for his contributions to data management, including the ACM SIGMOD Contributions Award (2021), the IEEE Technical Committee on Data Engineering (TCDE) Impact Award (2021), and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Distinguished Alumnus Award (2023). He earned his PhD in computer sciences from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Dr. Srivastava has been an active leader in CRA’s industry engagement efforts. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the CRA-Industry Steering Committee and has been a member of the committee since 2020. He has played a key role in shaping industry-academia collaborations through CRA’s workshops and conferences. In addition, he has contributed to the organization of multiple CRA Conferences at Snowbird, including as Co-Chair of the 2024 event.

Dr. Srivastava has served on the CRA Board since 2019 and recently became one of two ACM representatives on the Board.

Ben Zorn 

Ben Zorn is a Partner Researcher at Microsoft Research. A Fellow of both AAAS and ACM, Dr. Zorn has been recognized for his contributions to programming languages and software reliability, including the ACM SIGPLAN Distinguished Service Award (2021) and multiple Most Influential Paper Awards from PLDI and OOPSLA. He has also served on the NSF Committee of Visitors Blue Ribbon Review Panel for the CISE Directorate. He earned his PhD in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Dr. Zorn has played a significant leadership role in CRA’s industry engagement initiatives. He co-founded and co-chaired the CRA-Industry Committee from 2020 to 2024, helping to establish it as a key platform for strengthening collaboration between academia and industry. He has also been involved in organizing multiple CRA events, including the inaugural CRA-Industry Meeting at Snowbird in 2022 and the 2023 CRA Workshop on Computing Research in Industry. Previously, he served on the CCC Council from 2014 to 2020, contributing to several working groups and task forces.

Dr. Zorn has served as a CRA Board member since 2022.

Welcoming Other New Board Members 

CRA is also pleased to welcome the following three new additions to the Board of Directors. 

Wen-mei Hwu 

Wen-mei Hwu is a Senior Director of Research and Senior Distinguished Research Scientist at NVIDIA and a well-known leader in parallel computing. He spent 32 years at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he is currently the AMD Jerry Sanders Chair Emeritus. He earned his PhD in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Hwu is a Fellow of ACM and IEEE and has received numerous honors, including the 2024 ACM/IEEE Eckert-Mauchly Award, the IEEE Computer Society Charles Babbage Award, and the ACM Grace M. Hopper Award. His contributions to GPU computing and compiler optimization have shaped modern parallel computing, including his co-authored book: Programming Massively Parallel Processors: A Hands-on Approach.

On the CRA Board, Dr. Hwu aims to strengthen industry-academic collaboration and support AI and high-performance computing research. 

Keith Marzullo 

Keith Marzullo is the Dean of the College of Information (INFO) at the University of Maryland, a role he has held since 2016. He earned his PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

Dr. Marzullo is an ACM Fellow and serves on the advisory board for the National Science Foundation Office of International Science and Engineering. He also leads the North American section of the international iSchools organization. His research interests include cybersecurity, privacy, and socio-technical systems that enhance human well-being.

Prior to joining UMD, Dr. Marzullo was the Director of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development program at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He also previously led the Division of Computer and Network Systems at the National Science Foundation and held faculty positions at UC San Diego, the University of Tromsø, and Cornell University.

Dr. Marzullo serves on the CRA Board of Directors representing the Deans Council.

Bart Selman 

Bart Selman is a Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University and a leading researcher in artificial intelligence, focusing on computational sustainability, reasoning, planning, and knowledge representation. Previously, he was a researcher at AT&T Bell Laboratories.

A Fellow of AAAI and AAAS, Dr. Selman has received multiple best paper awards, with research published in Nature, Science, and PNAS. His honors include the Cornell Stephen Miles Excellence in Teaching Award, the Cornell Outstanding Educator Award, an NSF CAREER Award, and an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship.

Dr. Selman serves on the CRA Board as the AAAI Representative.

Thanking Our Recently Exited and Soon-to-Exit Board Members 

Serving on the CRA Board of Directors requires a significant commitment of time, expertise, and dedication. We are deeply grateful for the service of those who have helped guide and support CRA’s mission through their work on the Board.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the following individuals who recently completed their board service: Kim Hazelwood (Meta), Yolanda Gil (University of Southern California), Eunice Santos, (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and Jeannette Wing (Columbia University). 

In addition, four Board members’ terms of service will end June 30, 2025: Nancy M. Amato (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Lorrie Cranor (Carnegie Mellon University), Gillian Hayes (University of California, Irvine), and Jaime Teevan (Microsoft). 

We sincerely appreciate their contributions and dedication to the computing research community.

CRA Board of Directors Officer Elections 

During the February 2025 CRA Board of Directors Meeting in Washington, D.C., the Board finalized its officer elections, selecting a new Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.

James Allan – Chair 

James Allan has been elected Chair of the CRA Board of Directors. He is a Professor and Associate Dean of Research and Engagement at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. A Fellow of the ACM, Dr. Allan was elected to the ACM SIGIR Academy in 2021 and received the ACM SIGIR Test of Time Award in 2016, among other career honors. He earned his PhD in computer science from Cornell University.

Dr. Allan has served on the CRA Board since 2018 and has been a member of the Executive Committee and Treasurer since 2019. He will vacate his role as Treasurer when he assumes the position of Chair on July 1, 2025.

Mary Hall – Vice Chair 

Mary Hall has been elected Vice Chair of the CRA Board of Directors. She is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Utah. A Fellow of both IEEE and ACM, Dr. Hall has been recognized with the CRA-WP Anita Borg Early Career Award and the IEEE Computer Society Ken Kennedy Award for her outstanding contributions to computing. She has made significant contributions to CRA, including serving on the BPCnet.org Steering Committee, co-chairing the CRA Career Mentoring Workshop in 2022, and serving on the CRA-Industry Steering Committee since 2021. She earned her Ph.D. in computer science from Rice University.

 

Dr. Hall has served on the CRA Board of Directors since 2015 and as an appointed member of the CRA Executive Committee since 2020. She will assume the position of Vice Chair on July 1, 2025.

Ran Libeskind-Hadas – Secretary 

Ran Libeskind-Hadas has been elected Secretary of the CRA Board of Directors. He is the Founding Chair of the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences at Claremont McKenna College. Among his many honors are the NCWIT EngageCSEdu Engagement Excellence Award and the Harvey T. Mudd Prize. He earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was recognized as the CS Distinguished Alumni Educator in 2012.

Dr. Libeskind-Hadas has previously served as a member of CCC and as Co-Chair of CRA-E. He has been a CRA Board member since 2018 and has served as a member of the Executive Committee, holding the role of Secretary from 2019 to 2023 and Vice Chair since 2023. He will vacate his role as Vice Chair when he assumes the position of Secretary on July 1, 2025.

Ming Lin – Treasurer 

Ming Lin has been elected Treasurer of the CRA Board of Directors. She is the Dr. Barry Mersky and Capital One Endowed Professor and a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland. She earned her PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Lin is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, ACM, and IEEE, and has been recognized by Eurographics, ACM SIGGRAPH Academy, and IEEE VR Academy for her contributions to the field. She has received numerous honors, including the NSF Young Faculty Career Award.

Dr. Lin has been deeply involved in CRA-WP, including serving as a member of its Board of Directors, as a program chair of the NSF DREU program, and contributing to other CRA-WP mentoring activities. She has been a member of the CRA Board since 2023. She will assume the position of Treasurer on July 1, 2025.

A Special Thank You to Departing Board Chair Nancy M. Amato 

Nancy M. Amato, Director of the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science and Abel Bliss Professor of Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will conclude her term as Chair of the CRA Board of Directors on June 30, 2025.

Dr. Amato has made numerous and lasting contributions to CRA during her tenure. She has served on the Board of Directors from 2014 to 2025, including terms as Vice Chair (2019-2021) and Chair (2021-present), having been reelected as Chair in 2023.

Her leadership has been instrumental in shaping CRA’s strategic direction. She led the search for CRA’s current Executive Director and CEO, Tracy Camp, and co-led (with Alex Aiken) the Research Integrity report, a collaborative effort among multiple computing societies. She also initiated key structural changes to Board meetings, including introducing breakout discussions—first implemented in July 2022—to encourage more interactive engagement and input from Board members. Additionally, she launched the Programmatic Committee Leadership meetings, now held twice annually, to foster cross-committee collaboration.

Dr. Amato has been a longtime champion of broadening participation in computing, serving as Co-Chair of CRA-WP (2014-2017), a Steering Committee member since 2011, and a CRA Board member since 2000. She has continuously advocated for new initiatives, including the “junior fellowship” concept, which is highlighted in CRA’s recently posted quadrennial paper on domestic student pathways to computing PhDs. In addition to her leadership in broadening participation, she contributed significantly to CRA’s education efforts as a CRA-E Board member from 2011 to 2020. In recognition of her outstanding leadership and contributions to increasing the success of groups historically minoritized in computing research, Dr. Amato received the CRA A. Nico Habermann Award in 2014.

CRA is deeply grateful for Dr. Amato’s extraordinary service, dedication, and vision, which have had a lasting impact on the organization and the computing research community.

Stay Up to Date on CRA Board Activities 

The CRA Board of Directors will next convene in late May. For updates on the CRA Board, including agendas and programmatic committee updates, as well as Board Meeting summaries, follow the CRA Bulletin and Computing Research News.